Financial Past Reborn In Lower Manhattan

Story Utilities

Rare specimens and artifacts are soon to be on display at the Museum of American Financial History in New York, which will have access to these treasured collections through the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1988, the Museum of American Financial History has become a designated affiliate of the Smithsonian. The not-for-profit New York museum was founded by John E. Herzog, chairman emeritus of Herzog Heine Geduld. It now has the opportunity to select its own exhibits from the 140 million items housed in the Smithsonian. The Smithsonsian oversees 16 museums and galleries as well as the National Zoo.

"We have great documents like stocks and bonds that are related to American entrepreneurs like Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell," said Kristin Richard, communications director at the museum, located at 32 Broadway in lower Manhattan. "But we don't have actual physical objects to round out their stories. Now, we can get patent models from the Smithsonian's archives and put them on display."